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£400m pledge to remove unsafe cladding on high-rise blocks

The government has pledged to spend £400m to remove potentially dangerous cladding from more than 150 high-rise tower blocks across the UK.

As the first anniversary of the Grenfell Tower disaster approaches, Theresa May told MPs that councils and housing associations would be given the cash from Whitehall coffers to carry out the work.

But government funds for privately owned blocks was ruled out.

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She added that it would be wrong if the cost of removing the cladding meant housing providers had less money for maintenance.

Mrs May told the House of Commons: “Councils and housing associations must remove dangerous cladding quickly, but paying for these works must not undermine their ability to do important maintenance and repair work.

“I’ve worked closely with my right honourable friends, the Chancellor and the Housing Secretary, and I can today confirm that the government will fully fund the removal and replacement of dangerous cladding by councils and housing associations, estimated at £400m.”

A spokesman for the Prime Minister confirmed that unsafe cladding needed to removed and replaced on 158 high-rise blocks in the social sector in England, and that it had begun on 104 of these.

They added that there would be no funding for privately owned blocks and No 10 thought the cost should be met by the landlords.

The spokesman said: “This is money for social housing. We expect private building owners to take responsibility for removing and replacing and to not pass the cost on to leaseholders.”